Summary

At 0826 Western Standard Time on
28 March 2010, a Piper Aircraft Corp. PA‑30 Twin Comanche
aircraft, registered VH‑KDS, departed Jandakot Airport, Western
Australia for a private flight under the visual flight rules (VFR).
On board were two qualified pilots, both of whom were endorsed on
the aircraft type. No details of the flight were submitted to Air
Traffic Services nor left with any other person. At 1815, following
the failure of the aircraft to return to Jandakot, the Australian
Rescue Coordination Centre was notified and a search was initiated
to locate the aircraft.

Following examination of radar data,
the aircraft was located the following morning by the crew of a
search and rescue (SAR) helicopter. Upon landing, the helicopter
crew established that the two occupants had sustained fatal
injuries.

Analysis of data recorded by onboard
Global Positioning System equipment identified that while
maintaining about 3,500 ft above mean sea level, the speed of
the aircraft steadily decreased followed by a steep descent that
continued to ground level.

Examination of the aircraft identified
that the propeller of the left engine was feathered prior to
impact; however, no evidence of a defect or other circumstance that
would have necessitated feathering of the propeller was
identified.

The investigation identified that the circumstances of the
accident were consistent with a loss of control due to sufficient
airspeed not being maintained. In addition, the investigation found
that the lack of flight details available for the search and rescue
authorities and the non-activation of the portable emergency
locator transmitter hampered the SAR response.

Preliminary

On 28 March 2010, a Piper Aircraft Corp PA-30 Twin Comanche,
registered VH-KDS, departed from Jandakot Aerodrome, Western
Australia for a private flight under the visual flight rules. On
board were two qualified pilots, both of whom were endorsed on the
aircraft type. Following the failure of the aircraft to return to
Jandakot later that day, a search was initiated to locate the
aircraft and occupants. The following morning, the
seriously-damaged aircraft was located and both occupants were
found to have received fatal injuries.